Method of forming a liquid fuel



Aa HAYES.

METHOD OF FORMING A LIQUID FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5,1919.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

Ill

Patented Sept. re, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT- orrica.

ALBERT HAYES, 01 NEW YORK, N. 1., ASSIGNOR, BY HEQNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO U. S.

' INDUSTRIAL ALCOHOL 30., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

HETHOD QF FORMING A LIQUID Application filed June 5, 1919. Serial Ito. 302,086.

To all whom it may cmwem r Be it known that I, Annular Hares a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Forming a Liquid Fuel, of which the following The drawing is a diagrammatic view art.

ly in section of an apparatus adapte' for carrying out the method of my invention, it being understoodthat the drawing is illustrative merely and is not intended to restrict the invention to the use of the apparatus shown or to any particular apparatus.

In the" drawing 1 indicates a tank in which is placed the mixture from which the improved liquid fuel is made. This tank is provided with-'a pressure gage 2, an inlet 3 through which the mixture may be introduced and through which air under pressure may be supplied. The tank is provided with an agitator 4, here shown as carried by a shaft 5 extending through a suitable gland 6 and provided outside the tank with a pulley 7 for rotating it.

From the interior of the tank near its lower end a delivery pipe 8 extends upward and outward leadin to a downwardly extending pipe 9 whic extends nearly to the lower end of a vertically arran (1 catalyst 10 which is enclosed in a suitab e casing 11 and is arranged to be heated by a suitable burner 12. rom a point near the upper end of the catalyst a pipe 13 leads to the upper end of the worm 14 of a condenser.

In the tank 1 I place a mixture of relatively heavy hydrocarbon, such as low grade kerosene, alcohol, benzol and other, the keroe sene and alcohol bein the main ingredients of the mixture, a relatively small proportion of benzol being used and a much smaller proportion of ether.

This mixture is kept constantly agitated in the tank to cause the several ingredients which differ somewhat in specific gravity to be thoroughly mixed and to prevent Stratification. This mixture from near the bottom of the tank is forced by the pressure of the air in the tank into the deliv-- ery pipe 8, from which it flows into the pipe 9 and from the which is filled with a finely divided catalyst comprising finely divided zinc or nickel particles carried by a burned clay carrier which may be rich in aluminum compounds, the particles of zinc and nickel forming a relatively small proportion of the mixture, but being preferably well distributed through the mass. This catal st is kept heated by the burner 12, preferab y to a temperature of about 250 degrees (3., though this temperature may be varied somewhat, but should not exceed 300 degrees G. This heat is Suficient to vaporize the oil mixture and the vapors pass upward through the material with which the catalyst is filled and are subjected as vapors to the catalytic action of such material by which they are caused to form a permanent compound from which the ingredients will not separate. This compound as it passes from the upper end of the catalyst is ready ioruse in an explosion-engine, it being necessary only to mix with it the amount of air required for forming an explosive mixture.

In order that the compound may be in condition for I storage and transportation, the vapors from the catalyst are led by the pipe 13 to the worm of the condenser from the outletof which the condensate flows into a suitable storage receptacle (not shown). This condensate is of a ermanent character and may be kept inde nitely at any temperature or at varying temperatures without stratification or separation of its Ingredients.

ipe 9 into the catalyst 10,

The heavy h drocarbon oil may be of very low grade. T e so-called fuel oil may be used orany oil of similar grade.

I do not herein claim the apparatus described and shown as that forms the sub 7 Serial No. 302,065.

'ect-matter of a separate application for tters Patent filled of even date herewith,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The process of making a fuelof nonstratifying character which comprises subjecting a vaporized mixture of a heavy hydrocarbon oil and alcohol containing small proportions of a light hydrocarbon and ether, to the action of a finely divided zinc or nickel catalyst at a temperature below about 300 degrees C.

2. The process of making a fuel of nonstratifying character which comprises subjecting a vaporized mixture \of a heavy hydrocarbon oil and alcohol containing small proportions of a light hydrocarbon and ether, to the action of a finely divided zinc and nickel catalyst at a temperature below about 300 degrees C.

3. The process of making a fuel of nonstratifying character which comprises subjecting a vaporized mixtureof kerosene and alcohol containing small proportions of a light hydrocarbon and ether, to the action of a finely divided zinc or nickel catalyst at a temperature below about 300 degrees C.

4. The process of making a fuel of nonstratifying character which comprises subjecting a vaporized mixture of kerosene and alcohol containing small proportions of a light hydrocarbon and ether, to the action of a finely divided zinc and nickel catalyst at a temperature below about 300 degrees C.

5. The process of making a fuel of nonstratifying character which comprises subjecting a vaporized mixture of kerosene and alcohol containing small proportions of benzol and ether, to the action of a finely proportions of a light hydrocarbon and a smaller proportion of ether, to the action of I a finely divided zinc, and nickel catalyst at a temperature below about 300 degrees C.

8. The process of making a fuel of nonstratifying character which comprises sub jecting a vaporized mixture of kerosene and alcohol containing small proportions of henzol and a smaller proportion of ether, to

the action of a finely divided zinc and nickel catalyst at a temperature below about 300 degrees C.

9. The process of making a fuel of nonstratifying character which comprises mixing together a low grade kerosene and alcohol with a smaller proportion of benzol and ether, agitating the mixture to prevent separation, vaporizing it in the presence of a finely divided zinc and nickel catalyst at a temperature of about 250 degrees (1, removing the vapors from the catalyst and condensing them.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature this 5th day of June, 1919.

ALBERT-HAYES. 

